


Safe

by finnsdead (Magic_Cait)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: First Kisses, Friends to Lovers, M/M, davey gets beat up, i love my gays, jack is hopeless, sad ish davey, the delanceys are douches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 06:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8654671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magic_Cait/pseuds/finnsdead
Summary: Jack likes to wander the streets of Manhattan at night sometimes, but he finds a surprise this time.





	

Jack was tired.

The sun had melted below the horizon hours ago, and Race had invited Spot, Specs, Crutchie, Mush, Blink, and a few other kids to a poker game. Race won, obviously, but Spot came in a close second. Spot was quite the sore loser, and had responded to his loss with a simple “screw you, Higgins”, to which Race replied with “is that a promise?”. All the boys groaned and the group slowly dispersed, the Brooklyn kids heading back with Spot and the rest drifting to their own beds. Soon enough, it was only Jack and Race left at the table. 

“Hey, Jack, don’t stay up too late, okay? You ain’t been gettin’ sleep, and we’s all noticed. Go see Davey or somethin’.” Race said. He got up and started up the stairs.

Once Race was gone, Jack got up and head out the door. He needed to see Davey. They hadn’t seen each other all week; the other boy had started school and didn’t have time for selling papes. Jack refused to admit he missed him. The darkness had started to set in around Jack, the wind adding a chill to the air. Other than the wind, however, the streets of New York were silent. Each corner Jack passed, his steps slowed and his breath picked up.

Soon, though, the silence of the night was interrupted. A quiet whimper rang through the streets. Jack found it oddly familiar.

He followed the sound for a bit, wandering the winding streets of Manhattan before coming to a small alley. His heart dropped into his stomach at the sight before him.

David Jacobs.

David Jacobs was curled up against a wall, his small body pulled in around him. Jack approached him slowly.

“Dave?”

The whimpering stopped. The boy’s head lifted to look at Jack, his pleading eyes burning into Jack’s memory. Tears streamed down his face, his cheeks flushed and filthy. Jack kneeled next to him, staring, incredulous, at the bruises and blood covering his best friend’s body. Jack reached for Davey’s face, cradling it gently. David leaned into the touch, slowly falling toward Jack. 

Jack helped the other boy to his feet, looping his arm around his waist and practically dragging him down the road.

By the time Jack reached the Jacobs’, it was nearly midnight and Davey had passed out 5 blocks back. He was surprisingly heavy when he wasn’t awake. He knocked awkwardly on the door, trying to keep David upright. Esther opened the door and immediately burst into tears. Mayer helped Jack carry David into the apartment and lay him on the couch. Esther and Sarah cleaned his wounds and made sure he was comfortable. Jack refused to leave David’s side, even when he was offered a bed to sleep in and some hot tea. 

He stayed awake all night, watching David’s chest rise and fall and keeping a tight grip on his hand. 

 

When Davey woke the next morning, his parents were gone, Sarah and Les were at school, and his hand was strangely warm and sweaty and there was a mysterious weight on his legs. He opened his eyes to find Jack Kelly nearly asleep with his head on his legs, holding his hand and watching him with half lidded eyes. Davey smiled, and moved his legs slightly, alerting Jack to his consciousness.

Jack lept up, a smile quickly spreading across his face. “Davey!”

“Hey, Jack.” he replied quietly, his head starting to hurt. 

“You’re okay!”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Jack’s grin suddenly disappeared. “What happened to you last night? Why was you in that alley?”

Davey grimaced. “I-uh, Oscar and Morris, they-”

Jack cut him off. “The Delanceys did this?” he asked, all lightheartedness replaced with sheer anger.

“Yes, but Jack, don’t go after-”

“Oh, I’m goin’ after them, Davey. No one soaks my friends except me, especially not the goddamn Delanceys.”

Jack shot up, starting toward the door. Davey grabbed his wrist. He stopped in his tracks, turning back to the boy.

“Jack, please just… just stay with me, okay?”

“Dave, I gotta sell…”

“You can stay here tonight. Just stay here, Jack. I don’t…” Davey trailed off. “I don’t want to lose you.” 

Jack relaxed at the words. He sighed and knelt on the floor beside the couch. Davey pulled him into a hug that may have been a little too long to be just friendly. Jack pulled back slightly and stared into Davey’s piercing blue eyes for a moment before gently placing a kiss on his lips. Davey gasped and pulled back in surprise. Jack began to stand to leave, apologizing profusely. 

Davey pulled him back down, kissing him hard. He pushed the unsaid “I love you”s and every amount of affection into that one kiss.

They kissed until their lips were red and swollen and were both panting for breath. 

Neither said more than a sentence at a time, using the empty apartment as a safe haven where they could kiss until they were blue in the face. 

~

When the rest of the Jacobs’ returned home that evening, they found their son asleep in his bed and Jack dead asleep on the couch. No one said a word about the appearance of several bruises on both boys’ necks that definitely had not been there the night before.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu @lafayelling on tumblr, talk to me about my gays
> 
> also thx for readin this


End file.
